Imparting his wisdom on youth and teaching life lessons has become Doug Russell’s calling.

The Midland High grad reached the pinnacle of swimming when Russell claimed gold medals in the men’s 100-meter butterfly and 400 medley relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.

Russell became a swimming legend when he beat nine-time Olympic champion Mark Spitz in the first-ever 100 butterfly held at the summer games.

Fifty years after his extraordinary feat, Russell does not dwell on it, as he concentrates on guiding his Austin Trinity Aquatic Club youth swimmers to college opportunities.

“I focus more on how much time I have left instead of how much time I’ve already spent,” Russell said.

Russell is back in the Tall City to coach Austin Trinity Aquatic Club in the four-day 73rd annual Frost Bank West Texas Invitational swim meet that concludes today at COM Aquatics’ FMH Natatorium. Interestingly enough, Russell, 72, has a long history with the West Texas Invitational, as his late mother Betty Jane served as the meet director when he was between the ages of 9-11.

Over 60 years later, Russell is passing down a treasure trove of swimming know how to his team of exactly 50 swimmers. It’s a small squad by swim team standards, so Russell can give each kid the individual attention they deserve. In Austin Trinity’s five years of existence, Russell says every senior swimmer he has had advanced to swim at the collegiate level.

“I want to see them to get to college,” Russell said. “I want to find a good college program for them. That’s basically my one goal. I tell them all the time, ‘I’m not going to get to see you swim your fastest, that’s when you get into college, get full grown and mature and all that stuff.’ My job is just to try to give you the basics and give you a good background when you get there. That’s what I focus on.”

Russell’s coaching style is heavily influenced by the elders that molded him into an Olympic champion.

The Austin Trinity Aquatic Club coach says his mother and late grandmother Miriam Johnson were strong ladies that he didn’t want to mess with.

Although he didn’t have a father figure in his life, Russell said basketball coach Jay Spears, trainer Doc Dodson and dean of students Jack Mashburn served as male role models in his upbringing at Midland High. He also said Don Easterling, his swim coach at University of Texas-Arlington, was tough on him.

“If you didn’t do a good job or hustle on the basketball court, you were running laps,” Russell said. “I got hollered at a lot, but I appreciate that.”

Russell says his swimmers and their parents know that being with Austin Trinity Aquatic Club is not going to be a cake walk.

“I think that most of the families, they have their kid in my program because I’m pretty much old school,” said Russell, a former world record holder in three events. “I think there’s a lot that goes on today that makes kids soft. I work them hard. I don’t let them cut corners. I don’t let them BS themselves. I stay on them all the time. I’ve made kids cry, I’ve made parents cry.

“But I don’t give in by saying it’s OK. Not every kid deserves a trophy. I think that’s the big thing, learning a work ethic, learning to be disciplined about anything, learning to be there every day. Those are the kinds of things that we focus on.”

While Russell is disciplined, he’s very humble, genuine and approachable. COM Aquatics swim coach Luke Serrano says Russell had a profound impact on his career, always willing to offer advice and being accessible to questions. Serrano says Russell has a way of connecting with youngsters.

“What I really admired about him is the quality of coaching that he does with his athletes,” Serrano said. “He cares about each and every one of them and you can see that in his coaching.

“He has a way of making things very personal and it’s always what you can achieve, not what I’ve achieved. It’s always you can achieve. That’s what makes it really inspirational.”

Russell prides himself on being straightforward. He believes being authentic and forthright helps his kids find the right opportunity, and their future college coaches have a sense of the type of person they’re getting.

“The schools that they show interest in, I write that coach a letter,” Russell said. “It’s a no nonsense letter. ‘(I write) this kid is interested in your program and this is what you get. This is not what you’re going to get.’ The kids know that. I think the 99 percent of the time the college coach appreciates it. I’ve got great kids. The next four years, every year I have top level kids coming out, so that makes it fun.”